The Way of Spiritual Journey

Chapter 30, The Bright Moon in the Sky

"I wonder what year it is tonight in the celestial palace." At this moment, Shi Butong was no longer a spoiled brat, but a dashing young master full of vigor. His slow recitation and deep expression of emotion drew the attention of the entire audience.

At that moment, melodious zither music slowly rose, accompanying the young master.

"I long to ride the wind and return, yet I fear the jade palaces and crystal towers, where the heights are unbearably cold. I dance with my shadow, how can it compare to being in the human world?" Upon hearing the zither music, Shi Butong was thrilled, knowing that he had a sure thing. His recitation became even more melodious and rhythmic.

Just then, a beautiful figure flew onto the stage and began to dance to the sound of a zither.

The beautiful figure wore a blue and white silk dress, her figure graceful and charming, her black hair tied up high, and her face veiled with a light veil; every move she made exuded a thousand kinds of charm, and every glance she gave was full of lingering brilliance.

Nalan Mingyue truly lives up to her reputation. With just her graceful dance, she can captivate all without even showing her face.

All beings are born unequal, but their appreciation of beauty is equal. The pursuit of beauty is inherent in all beings and is the meaning of life.

The beauty of this night is that of Nalan Mingyue; every inch of her is pleasing to the eye of all.

At this moment, no one made a sound. No one dared to utter even the slightest noise, for fear that this beautiful moment would be suddenly lost because of the noise.

"Turning through the vermilion pavilion, lowering the embroidered window, illuminating the sleepless night." Shi Butong's tone gradually rose, his emotions becoming more intense, his eyes never leaving Nalan Mingyue for a moment. "There should be no resentment, why does the moon always seem fullest when we are apart?"

As the poem draws to a close, Shi Butong is filled with passion, as if this masterpiece has been brewing in his heart for a long time, and today it finally sees the light of day, which is a great joy in life.

"People experience sorrow and joy, separation and reunion; the moon waxes and wanes, and nothing in this world is ever perfect. May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, even from afar."

The lyrics ended, the music stopped, and the dance ceased.

For a moment, everyone was in a daze, savoring the memories of what had just happened. The lingering echoes of a timeless masterpiece and the graceful bearing of an unparalleled beauty.

"Young master, does this work have a name?" Nalan Mingyue stood quietly on the stage, her beautiful eyes fixed on Shi Butong for a long time. After a moment, a clear, nightingale-like voice rang out.

"This work is titled 'Bright Moon in the Sky,' not frivolous, oh, not just presented here." Shi Butong was excited and almost gave himself away in his words, but fortunately he reacted in time and presented the poem with both hands.

"The bright moon in the sky!" Nalan Mingyue's face was covered by a light veil, so her expression could not be seen. However, when she murmured to herself, her beautiful eyes sparkled with extraordinary light.

Rou'er took the poem, and Nalan Mingyue gave Shi Butong one last deep look before turning and leaving.

"Miss Mingyue removes the sign, inviting Young Master Shi to the second floor to admire the moon." Rou'er watched Nalan Mingyue leave, then turned around and announced to the crowd.

"Hmph!" The first to stand up were the black and white duo, who made a heavy snort and left with a flick of their sleeves.

They came prepared tonight, having spent a lot of money to buy several songs, but they never expected that Shi Butong's "Bright Moon in the Sky" would seal the fate of the night.

Despite their notorious reputation, as powerful individuals, they possessed a strong sense of pride and integrity. They knew that even if they presented their own work, it would be utterly incomparable to "The Bright Moon in the Sky." Therefore, their departure was remarkably swift.

Then the long-bearded old man stroked his beard, sighed softly, and left the table dejectedly.

The people in the hall were also cursing and swearing, with many expressing envy, jealousy and hatred. They left behind a string of vicious wishes such as "I'll work you to death, you little bastard..." and then dispersed in a huff.

As for Zhu Huaiyu, he was slumped at the table, his eyes glazed over, repeatedly muttering three words, "Impossible..." before being helped away from his seat by his attendants.

Only the beautiful woman in the palace remained seated as before, her phoenix eyes frequently scanning this direction.

"Congratulations, young master, on winning first place and taking the beautiful bride into your arms. Please settle your bet now." The maidservant of the beautiful woman gracefully approached, took out a betting slip, and handed it to her.

Shi Butong and Ma Zi looked at each other in bewilderment.

Li Lang took it, glanced at it, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

The bet clearly states that one hundred taels of silver bets on Shi Butong to turn the tables, with odds of 1 to 10, by Wang Fugui.

Wang Fugui has freckles on his face and is jokingly called "Freckled Wang" in the industry. When the betting opened, everyone was so busy writing down their bets that they were shaking.

When the maid handed over the betting agreement, Ma Zi didn't even have time to look at it carefully before accepting the silver note and signing his name.

This bet is brilliantly written; they've turned the tables.

What is a comeback? A small victory after a defeat can be called a comeback, and a small defeat after a victory can also be a comeback. The difference between reality and illusion lies in each person's understanding.

Now that the bet had been unexpectedly presented to him, Ma Zi was struck dumb.

"Ma Zi, stop dawdling and hurry up and pay up," Shi Butong urged impatiently when he saw Ma Zi's dazed expression. He couldn't afford to lose face when things were about to go smoothly.

"I'm not going to pay you anything, you've squandered all my money on shopping..." In his haste, Pockmarked Man blurted out the truth.

This time, Shi Butong was dumbfounded. He quickly covered Ma Zi's mouth. If Ma Zi revealed what had happened, then all their fun for the night would be for nothing.

"Miss, a bet is a bet, and we acknowledge the debt, but we really don't have any money on us right now. How about this, I'll write you an IOU, and you can come to my residence tomorrow, where I'll personally pay it. What do you say?" Shi Butong had no other choice; at this point, he dared not renege on his debt.

The maid glanced back at her master in the palace, who nodded slightly in approval.

"Alright, make a note of it." The maid didn't make things difficult and nodded in agreement.

Shi Butong wrote down the IOU in a few strokes, breathed a sigh of relief, and finally it was all settled.

"Young Master Shi, there's no rush. Let's write another one," Rou'er's voice rang out. She also took out a betting slip.

Shi Butong took a look, his eyes rolled back, and he almost fainted.

The betting agreement read: One hundred taels of silver for Shi Butong to win first place and the right to enjoy the moon. Odds: 1 to 100. Wang Fugui.

Ma Zi leaned over for a look, then slapped his forehead and fainted on the spot.

He had seen the bet agreement before. At the time, he only thought that Rou'er was pretty but not very bright. Wasn't this just blatantly handing him money? And without even making a sound? He didn't take it seriously at all, wrote his name in a stroke of his pen, and then had no memory of it afterward.

Now look what's happened! I have to pay back ten thousand taels of silver. Isn't that going to kill me? If I don't faint now, when will I?

"Um, Miss Rou'er, you dare to make such a bet? Could it be that Miss Mingyue instructed you to do so?" Shi Butong looked at Rou'er in front of him, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Rou'er smiled and shook her head, then pointed her slender finger at Li Lang and said sweetly, "I placed the bet on this carefree young master."

"You?" Shi Butong was stunned again, looking at Li Lang as if he were looking at a devil.

"Hmm. I just wanted to have some fun, so I asked Rou'er to join in the fun." Li Lang remained expressionless, slowly picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and then nodded.

"Are you a money-eating devil?" Shi Butong muttered, his face pale and his eyes lifeless.

"Sigh, I didn't expect things to turn out this way. I just thought it was funny. If it's really inconvenient for you, then forget it. Let's just treat it as a joke." Li Lang sighed and said casually. There was no displeasure in his tone, and his expression was gentle, as if he didn't care about the ten thousand taels of silver at all.

"A joke? What joke? You're just making fun of me now, aren't you?" In that instant, Shi Butong felt like the whole world had abandoned him.

Ten thousand taels of silver—if the old man at home found out, wouldn't he break several of his legs?

"Don't be afraid, I don't want the money. You should go upstairs with Miss Rou'er to enjoy the moon." Li Lang smiled gently and patted Shi Butong's shoulder lightly.

"Yes, moon-gazing." Shi Butong woke up with a start, a flash of inspiration crossing his mind. 'After tonight, I will become a Spirit Master, the pillar of the family, and the old man won't care about money anymore.'

"Young Master Bulang's talent is unparalleled, I admire him. As I always say, a bet is a bet, I'll write this IOU." Shi Butong gritted his teeth and wrote down the IOU.

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